WWE Trades Ruthless Aggression For PG | Wrestling Timelines

April 29, 2012 | It’s Not All Bad

Brock Lesnar John Cena
WWE.com

WWE produces some great shows during a wretched era. It’s not all bad. It’s very far from great, most of the time, but it’s not all bad. “Uneven” is still a bit generous. Extreme Rules 2012 is a fantastic pay-per-view offering - but the veneer of PG becomes questionable. The show is highlighted by three excellent matches.

Sheamus defeats Daniel Bryan in a blinding, hard-hitting Two out of Three Falls bout. After the dismal stunt at WrestleMania 28, where a red-hot Bryan is defeated in 18 seconds, this brutal exercise in atonement delivers big. Bryan is rehabilitated. He plays the heel role, but his rise to babyface stardom is inevitable. CM Punk defeats Chris Jericho in another superior WrestleMania sequel.

In the main event, a returning Brock Lesnar loses to John Cena. The result is baffling, but it does not matter. The match is so graphically compelling that it becomes an instant modern classic. It also does not resemble a PG match whatsoever. John Cena is busted open the hard way in a very real, blood-soaked beat-down. This had already happened during the promotion of the match.

Lesnar is deliberately positioned as the real TV-14 MMA killer in a PG world. It sets him apart as the most special attraction in the promotion. Over subsequent years, this gimmick, which barely qualifies as such, leads to at least one incident of a concussion when he smashes the sharp point of his elbow in the skull of Randy Orton at SummerSlam 2016. WWE’s PG rebrand is itself a gimmick; Lesnar’s role, which is oppressive and constant, makes a further mockery of it.

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Michael Sidgwick (Creative Writing BA Hons) is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over a decade of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential UK institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!